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[h=2]Are Dr Lu’s actions compatible with values expected?[/h]
June 25th, 2014 |
Author: Editorial
Dr Jay Lu Jiade
Immediately following Tan Tock Seng Hospital’s (TTSH) dismissal of blogger
Roy Ngerng (‘Tan
Tock Seng Hospital dismisses Roy Ngerng‘) on 10 June 2014, the Ministry of
Health (MOH) also issued its statement the same day, supporting TTSH’s decision
to terminate Roy’s employment. MOH said:
MOH supports TTSH’s decision as Mr Ngerng’s actions show a lack of integrity
and are incompatible with the values and standards of behaviour expected of
hospital employees.
A reader told TRE there was a case some time ago about another hospital
employee, a foreign doctor, who was struck off from medical register in the US
for selling Viagra online illegally, but who was later found to be working in
the National University Hospital (NUH) in Singapore.
Indeed, the foreign doctor is Dr Jay Lu Jiade who is currently still working
in NUH [Link].
He is the Head and Senior Consultant at the Department of National University
Cancer Institute of NUH:
Dr Lu was, in fact, struck off from Florida’s medical register after he was
caught selling the prescription drug Viagra online illegally in 1999 (‘Foreign
doctor with license revoked in U.S. now employed by NUH in Singapore‘).
Subsequently, he made his way to Singapore in 2001 and found a job with NUH. He
has since been working in NUH/NCIS for the past 13 years.
A relative of a NUH’s patient, who first informed TRE about Dr Lu in 2012,
wondered “how could someone with such a record” rise to attain senior leadership
positions in our university hospital?
She said, “I am concern what values are imparted to our young training
doctors, given that NUH/NUS is a major teaching hospital in Singapore.”
“I am very concern about the checks and balances for employment at NUH. Are
independent checks being done on prospective foreign drs? A simple google search
revealed so much detail about Prof Lu. I consider my family lucky as I managed
to find this out before seeing Prof Lu. I have since decided to go to another
hospital.”
When the news of Dr Lu broke, NUH held a press conference on 7 September 2012
to defend its decision to hire him.
NUH then said:
“The National University Hospital (NUH) and the National University Cancer
Institute, Singapore (NCIS) have looked into claims that a doctor on the staff
of NCIS was hired to work here even though his practicing certificate had been
revoked in the United States.”
“Dr Lu has informed us that he very much regretted his 1999 involvement in
the online prescription of drugs, which he puts down to a lapse of
judgement. It is an error for which he has already been penalized by
the US medical authorities where these offences occurred.”
“He is a physician who has earned the gratitude of his patients and the
respect of his colleagues and students.”
“We took on board a talented and enthusiastic physician who, when he came to
us, was not encumbered by legal challenges brought on by health regulatory
bodies. Dr Lu has shared a full and thorough account of what
transpired.”
At the time, MOH did not issue any statements about Dr Lu, unlike Roy’s
case.
Subsequently, TRE also wrote to the Singapore Medical Council (SMC) for
comments on Dr Lu’s case, since SMC, a statutory board under MOH, is in charge
of governing and regulating the professional conduct and ethics of registered
medical practitioners in Singapore.
The first reply from SMC was in Sep 2012, saying that it was reviewing Dr
Lu’s case:
From: SMC Enquiries (SMC)
Date: Thu, Sep 6, 2012 at 9:34 PM
Subject:
Re: Subject of concern
Thank you for your email and for writing to the Singapore Medical Council
(SMC).
The SMC is aware of Dr Lu’s case and processes have been underway to review
this matter fully. Presently, the requisite processes will take its course to
balance fairness to the practitioner and safety to the public.
As the case is now pending, it is not appropriate for the SMC to comment
further.
As for your general query relating to the grants of licences in Singapore,
SMC requires a doctor to make a formal declaration as to whether there has been
previous investigations and/or convictions (whether related to their medical
practice or conduct generally) in all jurisdictions. We take these matters very
seriously and if there has been any transgression on disclosures to the SMC, the
relevant committees will take the appropriate action.
Singapore Medical Council
A month later in Oct 2012, TRE wrote to SMC again to enquire about the status
of their review. SMC said they were still reviewing Dr Lu’s case:
From: SMC Enquiries (SMC)
Date: Thu, Oct 4, 2012 at 11:27 AM
Subject:
RE: Subject of concern
Thank you for your email.
SMC has already taken steps to investigate Dr Lu’s matter. As the process is
underway, we are unable to disclose any details relating to ongoing matters.
This is to ensure that the due process is conducted fairly and independently, in
the interests of the public and the doctor. SMC will release information about
the outcome of its investigations at the appropriate stage.
Singapore Medical Council
Since then, 1 year 9 months have passed. Nothing is heard from SMC. A check
on its website [Link]
also showed that SMC has not published any grounds of decision on Dr Jay Lu
yet.
It is not known why SMC is taking so long to come to a decision. Perhaps it
is still contemplating if Dr Lu’s illegal online viagra selling is “compatible
with the values and standards of behaviour expected of hospital employees”?
What do you think?
Dr Jay Lu Jiade
Immediately following Tan Tock Seng Hospital’s (TTSH) dismissal of blogger
Roy Ngerng (‘Tan
Tock Seng Hospital dismisses Roy Ngerng‘) on 10 June 2014, the Ministry of
Health (MOH) also issued its statement the same day, supporting TTSH’s decision
to terminate Roy’s employment. MOH said:
MOH supports TTSH’s decision as Mr Ngerng’s actions show a lack of integrity
and are incompatible with the values and standards of behaviour expected of
hospital employees.
employee, a foreign doctor, who was struck off from medical register in the US
for selling Viagra online illegally, but who was later found to be working in
the National University Hospital (NUH) in Singapore.
Indeed, the foreign doctor is Dr Jay Lu Jiade who is currently still working
in NUH [Link].
He is the Head and Senior Consultant at the Department of National University
Cancer Institute of NUH:
Dr Lu was, in fact, struck off from Florida’s medical register after he was
caught selling the prescription drug Viagra online illegally in 1999 (‘Foreign
doctor with license revoked in U.S. now employed by NUH in Singapore‘).
Subsequently, he made his way to Singapore in 2001 and found a job with NUH. He
has since been working in NUH/NCIS for the past 13 years.
A relative of a NUH’s patient, who first informed TRE about Dr Lu in 2012,
wondered “how could someone with such a record” rise to attain senior leadership
positions in our university hospital?
She said, “I am concern what values are imparted to our young training
doctors, given that NUH/NUS is a major teaching hospital in Singapore.”
“I am very concern about the checks and balances for employment at NUH. Are
independent checks being done on prospective foreign drs? A simple google search
revealed so much detail about Prof Lu. I consider my family lucky as I managed
to find this out before seeing Prof Lu. I have since decided to go to another
hospital.”
When the news of Dr Lu broke, NUH held a press conference on 7 September 2012
to defend its decision to hire him.
NUH then said:
“The National University Hospital (NUH) and the National University Cancer
Institute, Singapore (NCIS) have looked into claims that a doctor on the staff
of NCIS was hired to work here even though his practicing certificate had been
revoked in the United States.”
“Dr Lu has informed us that he very much regretted his 1999 involvement in
the online prescription of drugs, which he puts down to a lapse of
judgement. It is an error for which he has already been penalized by
the US medical authorities where these offences occurred.”
“He is a physician who has earned the gratitude of his patients and the
respect of his colleagues and students.”
“We took on board a talented and enthusiastic physician who, when he came to
us, was not encumbered by legal challenges brought on by health regulatory
bodies. Dr Lu has shared a full and thorough account of what
transpired.”
case.
Subsequently, TRE also wrote to the Singapore Medical Council (SMC) for
comments on Dr Lu’s case, since SMC, a statutory board under MOH, is in charge
of governing and regulating the professional conduct and ethics of registered
medical practitioners in Singapore.
The first reply from SMC was in Sep 2012, saying that it was reviewing Dr
Lu’s case:
From: SMC Enquiries (SMC)
Date: Thu, Sep 6, 2012 at 9:34 PM
Subject:
Re: Subject of concern
Thank you for your email and for writing to the Singapore Medical Council
(SMC).
The SMC is aware of Dr Lu’s case and processes have been underway to review
this matter fully. Presently, the requisite processes will take its course to
balance fairness to the practitioner and safety to the public.
As the case is now pending, it is not appropriate for the SMC to comment
further.
As for your general query relating to the grants of licences in Singapore,
SMC requires a doctor to make a formal declaration as to whether there has been
previous investigations and/or convictions (whether related to their medical
practice or conduct generally) in all jurisdictions. We take these matters very
seriously and if there has been any transgression on disclosures to the SMC, the
relevant committees will take the appropriate action.
Singapore Medical Council
of their review. SMC said they were still reviewing Dr Lu’s case:
From: SMC Enquiries (SMC)
Date: Thu, Oct 4, 2012 at 11:27 AM
Subject:
RE: Subject of concern
Thank you for your email.
SMC has already taken steps to investigate Dr Lu’s matter. As the process is
underway, we are unable to disclose any details relating to ongoing matters.
This is to ensure that the due process is conducted fairly and independently, in
the interests of the public and the doctor. SMC will release information about
the outcome of its investigations at the appropriate stage.
Singapore Medical Council
on its website [Link]
also showed that SMC has not published any grounds of decision on Dr Jay Lu
yet.
It is not known why SMC is taking so long to come to a decision. Perhaps it
is still contemplating if Dr Lu’s illegal online viagra selling is “compatible
with the values and standards of behaviour expected of hospital employees”?
What do you think?
